Machine for tapering bristles



R. IZAWA E FOR TAPERING BRISTLES May 27 1924.

MACHIN Filed ADrilxQ, i921 ATT?.

Patented May 27, 1924..

BXICHIRO IZAW'A, OF- KYOTO, JAPAN.

MACHINE FOR TAEEIIJG BRSTLES.

Application filed April 9,

To' all coli-01m it may concern.'

Be it known that-I, RHCHIRO IZAWA, subject of the Emperor of Japan, residing at No. 7 F urunishi Machi; Nishikikoji Agaru, Nislii-no-Toin-Dori, Shimogyo ku7 Kyoto, Japan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Tapering Bristles, of'which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for tapering hairs or bristles by means of abrasion, the object of the invention being to provide an improved machine ofv this chai'- ac-ter by means of which the proper taper can be readilyand quickly imparted to the bristles to render them suitable as a filler for brushes, and which machine is comparatively simple in construction and eticient and economical in operation.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, on a very much enlarged scale, of a bristle artificially'pointed or tapered according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is asimilar view of a bristle which has become split at its'tapered end;

Fig. 3 is a similar View of. a bristle before treatment;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a sinuous bristle such as is commonly found among naturally tapered bristles;

Fig. 5 is a side view of an apparatus adapted for treating the bristles so as to produce the desired taper.;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of a frame employed. in the apparatus herein described, for holding the bristles in position for treatment; and y y Fig. 7 is a sectional side view of theframe shown in Fig. 6, illustrating' the finished bristles separated from the unfinished y#and held away from the grinder.

The same characters of reference designate the same parts in the dierent figures of the drawings.

As is well known. brushes for applying paint, varnish, paste, or the like, are principally made from bristles of swine, tails of horses. hairs of sheep, or the like, and the requisite quality for such bristles or {ilaments is that they should be pointed, because otherwise the brushes made therefrom will not uniformly spread the substance applied therewith. Naturally pointed bristles and hairs,'however, forni only a small part of the brushes on the market and arel expensive'. By means of the present invention, I have 1921.' Serial No. 460,003..

provided a machine by means of which blunt' or unpointed bristles, such, for instance, as

that shown in Fig. 3, may be abraded, thusv giving to said bristles a tapered formation, as shown at 2, Fig. 1. The following is an example of the apparatus for accomplishingA this result: v

Referring to the drawings, 4 1s a circular grinder which is secured to a shaft or axle 8 mounted for rotation-iii a frame structure-8 and adapted to 'rotatein the direction ofthe arrow shown in Fig. 5. A bristle-holding frame 9 is pivoted to' the frame 8 at 10 and maintained at any desired inclination by' means of an adjusting screw 11 which is threaded through frame-9 and bears at itsinner end against a projectingportion or.

bracket 11 formed on the structurel 8,-. A. second frame 12 is pivoted to the structure 8 at 13 in opposed relation to thc frame 9, said frame 12-being fie'Xibly pulled downwardftoward the grinding member 4-by. means of a spring member 14. The frame 9 has secured thereto, near its upper end, a transversely extending bar 3, and attached to this bar by means of adjusting bolts 15 is another4 transverse bar. 3T, this bar being adjustable toward and from the companion rbar 3 by means of the threaded bolts 15 so as to form a space between said bars for the accommodation of a mass of bristles, which can be firmly retainedV between the bars by tightening thev bolts 15. The frame 9 is also provided with a lJ-shaped member 17 adapted to bear against the bar 3', the ends of said lJ-shaped member` terminating in coil springs 16, the ends of which are held fast on a rod 16 secured in the frame 9. To the frame 12 is pivoted a pressing member or board 5,

which is retained. in operative position byl means of an adjusting. screw 18 threaded through the frame 12'and bearing at its..

inner end against said board. A bell-crank ory elbow lever 2O is pivoted to the frame 8 at 2l, the shorter arm of which lever is normally in a line coincidentwith the circumference of the grinder 4, the longer arm of the lever being connected. with the frame 9.

by means of a cable or similar flexible member 19, whereby when the grinding operationv iio gui

member ii, which surface is provided with a suitable abrasive material, either placed directly thereon or with an intermediate ot felt or other elastic material.

The operation of the machine is lows: The bristles to be pointed a stacked7 or arranged so that they a at one end, and are then placed betw bars 3 and 3 and the bolts i5 tightened so as to securely clamp the bristles between said bars. yThe inclination of the frame 9 is then adjusted so that the even ends ot the bristles lie on the grinding` surface of the member il, as shown in Fig'. and the board 5 adjusted so that it bears upon said ends and holds them so that when the ,eufinding member is rotated the ends of the bristles will be ground to a taper. As soon as the lower layer of bristles has been abraded sufficiently, this layer is separated from the remaining` bristles and turned down behind the U-shaped member 1.7, whereby they are held out of contact with the abracing; surface of the grinder. This operation is repeated with successive layers until the bristiles are all ground to the proper taper. After the operation is completed, the frame 9 is raised, whereupon the bellcrank lever 20 will be swung on its pivot until the shorter arm engages the frame l2 and will thus prevent the board 5 from contacting with the abrasive surface of the grinder.

Experiments have demonstrated that with some kinds of bristles treated in the manner above described, the bristles split at and near the end, as shown at 7 in Fig. 2.

Bristles treated in accordance with the present invention not only make good substitutes for naturally pointed bristles, but present certain advantages over the latter. Naturally pointed bristles are usually more or less sinuous, as shown at 6, Fig. 4i, and re quire certain treatment to make them straight, while the bristles tapered as herein set f'orth, require no turther treatment for the purposes for which they are intended. liioreover, with naturally pointed bristles, the tapering portion is unnecessarily long and slender, thus makingthe bristles very difiicult to handle, especially when putting them into position to be manufactured into brushes, and sometimes it is necessary to cut off" the ends. With the bristiles treated as herein described, however, since they are manufactured trom straight y bristles, any desired degree of' taper can be given thereto. Furthermore, some naturally pointed bristles are too flexible throughout their entire length, while bristles treat ed as herein set forth retain their natural strength at the base or root and increase in flexibility only toward the free ends which is a very desirable Yquality in brushes.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim is:

l. A machine tor tapering' bristles, comprising` a framework, a rotatable abrading member mounted therein, ay 'frame pivotally secured to said framework, said ifranie havine' means it'or clamping,` therein a mass ot bristles and adapted to carry said bristles into contact with the abrading member,

second rame pivotally secured to said framework in opposing relation to said lsecured to said framework, said iframe having .means for elampingn therein a mass of bristles and adapted to carry said bristles into Contact with the abrading` member, a second frame pivotally secured to said framework in opposing relation to said first trame, means carried by said second frame Jfor pressing the bristles on said abradinrf member, `lieXible means for retaining said pressing means in contact with the bristles, means carried by said first frame for holding the finished bristles away tron the abrading member, and a bellcrank lever operated by the swinging ofthe first frame on its pivot for holding the second iframe out of' contact with the abrading member.

3. A machine f'or tapering bristles, com prising framework, rotatable abrading member mounted therein, frame pivotally secured to said framework. said trame having means tor clamping therein mass oit bristles and adapted to carry said bristles into contact with the alnading` member. a second frame pivotally secured to said framework in opposingr relation to said first frame, adjustableV means carried by said second trame for pressing` the bristles on said abradinp; member, flexible means for retaining' said pressing` means in contact with the bristles, a spring-pressed frame ivotally carried by said first frame for holdingthe finished bristles awry from the abradinn; member, and a bellcrank lever op erated by the swinging` oi the first frame on its pivot tor holding` the second trame out of Contact with the abrading member.

ln testimony whereo:c l have signed my name to this specification.

RlilCl-HRO ltZAWA.

lill 

